By Amalia Vineyard Alliance · Last updated October 2026

A Thanksgiving table puts sweet, salty, tart and rich dishes out at once and keeps them there for hours. The wine that copes best is dry, high in acidity and moderate in alcohol, with little oak or tannin to get in the way. Dry sparkling wine fits that description, which is why we pour Espumante from the first plate to dessert.

Amalia Vineyard Alliance makes three Brut Espumantes in Bairrada, on Portugal’s Atlantic coast, by the traditional method and from grapes hand-harvested by more than 500 farming families. Pedro, who makes them, has a view on where each one belongs at the table.

What makes a wine work with Thanksgiving dinner?

Acidity, and restraint everywhere else. Turkey is lean, the sides are rich, the gravy is salty and the cranberry sauce is both sweet and sharp. A wine with high acidity and moderate weight keeps each of those dishes tasting fresh. Heavy oak and firm tannin tend to fight them, and high alcohol makes a long afternoon feel longer.

Writing for The Washington Post, Emily Saladino put the test simply: “The trick is to zero in on wine characteristics such as weight and acidity.”

Why does sparkling wine work with the whole meal?

Dry sparkling wine brings the acidity and adds bubbles. Karen MacNeil, author of The Wine Bible, wrote in Sunset that sparkling wines “are naturally crisp, and that acidity cleanses the palate,” and that they make “a great counterpoint to salty and smoky foods.” That covers most of a Thanksgiving plate: gravy, stuffing, glazed ham, the roast skin.

All three Amalia wines are Brut, with 5.0 to 7.0 grams of sugar per liter, total acidity of 6.0 to 6.8 grams per liter and 12.5% alcohol. They are dry enough for the savory courses and light enough to stay on the table through dessert. Pedro says the Blanc de Noirs “goes beautifully with any kind of meal,” and that it can “start and finish” one.

Which Amalia wine goes with which Thanksgiving dish?

Open with the Blanc de Blancs, bring the Rosé to the turkey and the cranberry sauce, and keep the Blanc de Noirs for the darker, richer end of the table. All three work across the meal. The table shows where each one is strongest.

What wine goes with cranberry sauce?

Cranberry sauce is the hardest dish on the table, sweet and sharply acidic at the same time. A wine with less acidity than the sauce tastes flat beside it, so the sauce needs a wine with high acidity and some red fruit of its own. A dry sparkling rosé has both.

Amalia Rosé has the highest total acidity of our three wines, 6.8 grams per liter, so it is the one we pour with the turkey and the cranberry. Pedro also likes it on its own, or with desserts built on red fruit.

How much Espumante do you need for Thanksgiving?

A 750 ml bottle pours about six glasses of 4 ounces (120 ml). For a meal that runs through the afternoon, we plan on half a bottle for each adult who is drinking. Opening all three wines at once lets guests move between them as the plates change.

How should you serve Espumante at Thanksgiving?

Cold, and in a glass with some room. Pedro’s first rule is temperature: Espumante “has to be served and drunk well chilled,” so the bubble and the aromas come through. Keep the bottles in the refrigerator until they are poured, and put an ice bucket on the table for the long stretch between the turkey and dessert.

For the Rosé, Pedro prefers a wider glass to a flute, because the color is part of the pleasure. In his words, it is “captivating in a glass, for its color.”

Who pours Amalia in the United States?

Amalia is imported by Canopy Wine Selections, LLC, and carried by distributors in a number of states. In Miami, Old Lisbon pours it and has hosted an Amalia wine dinner, and in Chicago it is on the list at John’s Food & Wine, where Owen Huzar is wine director.

AVA supported the Vogue Leaders Miami event and the Miami Art Week party, both at Eichholtz Miami. In September our team sat on a panel at Florida International University, in the Vidal-Duart Wine Studies Program at the Chaplin School of Hospitality & Tourism Management, where the wines were poured.

Buyers setting holiday lists can contact our commercial team directly.

Frequently asked questions

What wine goes with Thanksgiving dinner?

A dry wine with high acidity and moderate alcohol, with little oak or tannin. Dry sparkling wine fits that description and works with the salty, sweet and rich dishes that share a Thanksgiving plate. Amalia’s three Brut Espumantes, at 12.5% alcohol, cover the meal from the appetizers to dessert.

Is sparkling wine good with turkey?

Yes. Turkey is lean, and the gravy and sides around it are rich and salty. The acidity and bubbles in dry sparkling wine refresh the palate between bites. A sparkling rosé or blanc de noirs, made from red grapes, has more body for dark meat and gravy.

What wine goes with cranberry sauce?

A wine with enough acidity to stand up to the sauce and some red fruit of its own. A dry sparkling rosé works well. Amalia Rosé, made from 100% Baga, has total acidity of 6.8 grams per liter, the highest of our three wines.

How many bottles of wine do you need for Thanksgiving?

Plan on about half a bottle for each adult who is drinking. A 750 ml bottle of sparkling wine pours about six 4-ounce glasses.

Should you serve sparkling wine in a flute or a wine glass?

Either works. Pedro, who makes Amalia, prefers a wider glass for the Rosé because it shows the color. Serve all three well chilled.

Is Amalia available in the United States?

Yes. AVA is imported into the United States by Canopy Wine Selections, LLC, and the wines are carried by distributors in a number of states. Restaurants, retailers and other trade buyers are welcome to contact our commercial team directly. To hear from us as the range travels further, join our list.

New to the category? Start with What Is Portuguese Sparkling Wine?, read about Baga, the grape behind our Rosé and Blanc de Noirs, or see all three wines.

Join our list for news from the cellar and the families who grow Amalia.